Sheffield puts six zeros on board for Quakes
After struggling in his first two California League starts, Jordan Sheffield reminded himself to have a short memory and get back to what he does best on the mound. That worked out just fine for the No. 10 Dodgers prospect on Sunday.Sheffield allowed three hits and two walks while fanning eight
After struggling in his first two California League starts, Jordan Sheffield reminded himself to have a short memory and get back to what he does best on the mound. That worked out just fine for the No. 10 Dodgers prospect on Sunday.
Sheffield allowed three hits and two walks while fanning eight over six scoreless innings as Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga pulled out a 4-3 win over Lake Elsinore at The Diamond.
Box score
"I put in a lot of work this week with our pitching coach Kip Wells, and a couple of coordinators have been in town," he said. "It was just going out there and trusting what I've done this week and in the past ... get ahead of batters and just get outs, let the defense play behind me."
Sheffield was elevated from Class A Great Lakes on Aug. 6, but struggled with a 12.91 ERA and a 3.39 WHIP in his first two starts on the new circuit. The No. 36 overall selection in the 2016 Draft got back in rhythm Sunday, reducing his ERA by over five runs. Sheffield threw 55 of 84 pitches for strikes, marking an improved strike percentage over his first two outings with the Quakes.
The 22-year-old believes it came down to tinkering with some mechanics and getting back to the basics during side sessions.
"It was kind of starting from the ground up," Sheffield said. "I've been trying to use my legs a little bit more and trying to stay on the rubber a bit more on my backside and not trying to get in too much of a hurry and rush toward the plate. We've done a lot of drills and bullpens and things of that sort this week to help me become a full all-round pitcher."
Sheffield set down the first seven hitters of the game before Ruddy Giron reached with a one-out walk in the third inning. Unfazed, the right-hander got Chris Baker to bounce out in front of the plate and Rod Boykin to strike out swinging.
After No. 21 Padres prospectMichael Gettys fanned to start the fourth, 20th-ranked Austin Allen and Fernando Perez ripped consecutive singles. Sheffield worked out of trouble when Carlos Belen lined into an inning-ending double play.
"For me, in that situation, it's making pitches and not striking the guy out or doing too much with the baseball," the Tennessee native said. "It's just about hitting your location, hitting your spot. In that sense it was a fastball inside, a two-seamer in. The first one I yanked and the second one I come back with it. All I was trying to do was hit that spot and not try to blow it by him or try to do too much."
Lake Elsinore got more traffic on the bases an inning later when Peter Van Gansen singled and Baker walked. The Vanderbilt product eluded danger again with a punchout of Boykin.
With no such high-leverage situation in the sixth, Sheffield tossed a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout to close out his night.
"My pitch count was getting up a little bit, but nothing like it has in the past," he said. "I knew that they really didn't have a chance to sit on one pitch. I used that, especially in the sixth inning, a lot more than I did in the past. You stick to the plan, stick with what works and what worked was getting strike one and not trying to miss bats. It was trying to hit my spot and that was big in the sixth inning."
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Down by two in the ninth, Quincy Latimore put the Quakes in the lead for good with a two-run homer. Andrew Istler fanned one in a clean ninth to earn his 13th save of the year.
"It was unbelievable," Sheffield said. "[Latimore] joined the team a couple of days after I did. And he's a really good guy. I was just sitting there and talking to him, he has 11 years in pro ball. He's also helped me too. I was so happy for him to come through in that situation and put our team back on top."
Andrew Battifarano is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter, @AndrewAtBatt.
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